Adjustable railing section



Aug. 16, 1955 E. v. KOOLS ADJUSTABLE RAILING SECTION Filed April 17,1953 TOR. 01%,

ATTORNEYS fwd United States Patent 015 ice 2,715,513 Patented Aug; 16,1955 ADJUSTABLE RAHJNG SECTION Edward V. Kools, Appleton, Wis., assignorto Kools Brothers, Inc., Appleton, Wis., a corporation of WisconsmApplication April 17, 1953, Serial No. 349,375

5 Claims. Cl. 256-21) This invention relates to adjustable railingsection.

Various types of structures such as porches, stoops, Stairways, rampsand the like require railings, but due to architectural and structuraldifferences the railing requirements are far from uniform and therailings, generally, must be fabricated at considerable expense to fitthe special requirements of the particular installation. However, if therequirement for specially fabricated railings for each installation canbe eliminated, so that the builder can purchase standard pre-formedrailing units and fittings and then assemble the same on the job to fitany inclination or series of steps of any pitch there will be aconsiderable saving in time and expense.

The primary object of the present invention, therefore, is to accomplishthe aim last mentioned by the provision of standard adjustable railingunits and fittings which can I be assembled and adjusted to fit anysituation where a railing is required.

A further object of the invention is to provide preformed railing unitswhich can be manually deformed on the job to fit any inclination orseries of steps of any pitch, which units are engageable with postscarrying adjustable fittings to mount the railing units in any desiredangular relationship relative to the posts, vertical walls, or othersupports.

A further object of the invention is to provide railing units whichinclude upper and lower longitudinal members joined by spaced-apartmetallic spindles, the spindles being weakened at their upper and lowerends by apertures so that the upper and lower extremities of a spindlemay be bent or deformed relative to its major extent to adapt thespindle to the upper and lower longitudinal members of the railing unitsregardless of the inclination or pitch of said longitudinal members.

A further object of the invention is to provide adjustable railing unitsand fittings which may be manufactured and sold in disengaged conditionand which are readily assembled on the job to suit any existingconditions.

A further object of the invention is to provide adjustable railing unitsand fittings which are relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture,which, when assembled, provide a strong, durable and attractive railing,which may be shipped and stored in a knock-down condition, and which arewell adapted for the purposes described.

With the above and other objects in view invention consists of theimproved adjustable railing units and fittings, and their parts andcombinations as set forth in the claims, and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawing in which the same reference charactersindicate the same parts in all of the views:

Fig. l is a fragmentary side elevation of a stairway and stoop or porchequipped with the improved stairway units and fittings assembled toprovide an integral railing structure of diiferent inclinations andangular relationships to suit the particular installation;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of an intermediate post anda pair of clamping units and angularly adjustable connectors associatedtherewith and extending in opposite directions from the post for theconnection of the longitudinal members of a pair of adjacent units;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of an end post carrying aclamping unit and an angularly adjustable connector;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side view of a wall bracket with an angularlyadjustable connector carried thereby;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a clamping unit such as iscarried by a post;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of a connector pivotblock assemblage adapted to mount a rail on a post clamping unit;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the wall bracket plate of Fig.4;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary side view, with portions broken awayand in section, of the spaced upper and lower longitudinal members oi. arailing unit and a connected spindle; and

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view of the showing in Fig. 8.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing, it will be noted that a particularadaptation of the invention is illustrated in connection with a flightof porch stairs 12 serving a flat porch or stoop 13 having angularlyrelated side edge portions 14 and 15 which are to be guarded by arailing. This embodiment will illustrate the manner in which thepre-formed railing units and fittings of the present invention arereadily assembled on the job to meet the various conditions imposed byany particular stairway and porch structure.

Between each pair of upright posts or supports is a railing unit of adesired length, the railing units in Fig. 1 being designated 16a, 16a,16b and 16c, respectively. Each railing unit comprises upper and lowerlongitudinal metallic members 17 and 18 of inverted channel formationconnected by spaced-apart metal spindles 19 having a degree ofmalleability. Then lengths of the various railing units 16a, 16b and 160may vary according to requirements, and in a particular railing unit thenumber of spaced apart connecting spindles 19 therein will depend uponthe length of the particular unit. Also, originally each unit is ofrectangular formation with its longitudinal members 17 and 18 paralleland at right angles to the extremities of the spindles 19 which arewelded or otherwise secured thereto, as at 35 in Fig. 8. The oppositeextremities of each spindle 19 are plane while the intermediate portionsare preferably twisted or spiral, as at 36. A particular feature of thepresent invention resides in the provision of apertures 20 (see Figs. 8and 9) in the plane extremities of the spindles which serve to locallyweaken the malleable spindles adjacent their points of connection withthe spaced-apart longitudinal members 17 and 18 of a unit, whereby theoriginally rectangular unit may, on the job, be bent or deformed into aparallelogram so that the rails or longitudinal members 17 and 18 willassume an inclination corresponding to the pitch of the particularstairs or ramp to which said units are to be applied, as at 16a inFig. 1. As is illustrated by the broken line showing in Fig. 8, thebending of the spindles 19 occurs in the areas of the openings 20,whereby the major extents of the spindles remain vertical.

The railing units 16a, 16b and 160 are adapted to be mounted betweenpairs of vertical posts or supports. In the drawing the upright posts,of square form in cross section, are designated by the numerals 21 andsaid posts are mounted along the stairway 12 and porch 13 in spacedapart relationship.

in Order'toniount the railing units to the supporting posts or the like,various uniform fittings and connectors are provided which are shown indetail in Figs. 2 to 7 inclusive. These fittings include post carriedclamps 22 (see Figs. 2, 3 and 5), rail carried connectors 23 (see Figs.2, 3, 4- and 6), and interposed pivot blocks 24 (see Figs. 2, 3 and 6).Additionally there are wall bracket plates 25 (Figs. 4 and 7).

A clamp 22 is in the form of an open square box with each side wallthereof having a tapped opening 26 therein. The internal opening througha member 22 is of a shape and size to snugly receive a post 21. A member22 is clamped in position on a post by a bolt 26' threaded into a tappedopening 26 so as to impinge against a wall portion of the post. For anend post 21 such as is shown at the bottom of the stairs 12 in Fig. 1,clamps 22 are mounted on the upper and lower end portions of the post inline with the lower ends of the rails 17 and 18, the unit 16a havingbeen deformed into parallelogram shape so that the angular extent of therails 17 and 18 corresponds to the pitch of the stairs. The lower endsof the rails 17 and 18 of the unit 16a carry connectors 23 which are ofhollow box-like formation with a tapped opening 27 in one side wallthereof to receive a bolt which impinges against the rail end onto whichthe connector 23 inner end of the pivot block register with openings 29in 9 the bifurcated portions of the connector and the connector ispivotally attached to the pivot block by a pin or n'vet 30 positionedthrough said registering apertures 28 and 29. A pivot block 24 has aclosed outer end but is open interiorly from the bottom to permit theinsertion of a threaded attaching bolt 31 which is threaded through anopening in the outer end of the pivot block and into one of the openings26 in the adjacent wall of the adjaceutipost clamp 22. In this mannerthe connectors 23 may be pivotally adjusted relative to the post 21 toaline with the unit rails 17 and 18 regardless of the angular extent ofsaid rails relativeto the vertical posts.

Substantially the same arrangement is employed in connection with theintermediate post on the stairway 12 in Fig. 1, except that the postcarries adjacent its opposite ends pairs of vertically spaced apartclamps 22, one pair of which is connected to the rails of the unit 16aon the downward side of the post 21 and the other pair of which isconnected to the rails 17 and 18 of the unit on the upward side of thepost 21. Where the inclined assembled railing is composed of severalunits 16a the spaced apart clamps 22 on the intermediate post permit therails of the units on each side of the post to extend in the sameinclined path.

The post 21 mounted at the top of the stairs 12 in Fig. 1 forms theanchorage for the upper end of an inclined parallelogram unit 16a and anend portion of a non-tilted rectangular unit 16b. Hence it is onlynecessary for the opposite ends of the post 21 to carry single clamps 22with opposite sides of the clamps having affixed thereto by bolts 31assembled connectors and pivot blocks 2324. With respect to theconnectors 23 engaging the inclined rails of the unit 16 and 18 theconnectors are pivoted to conform with the inclination of the rails 17and 18. On the other side of said post 21 the connectors 23 are at rightangles to the post to aline with the rails 17 and 18 of the unit 16b.

The next post 21 in Fig. I mounted on the porch at the junction of theright angularly related side edges 14 and 15 of the porch illustratesanother possibility wherein the railing unit 160 which is to guard theporch edge 15 is at right angles to the railing unit 16b. In this eventthe connectors 23. and pivot blocks 24 for the rails 17 and 18 of theunit 160 are secured to the clamps 22 at ill of the vertical wall orsupport while the upper opening has threaded thereinto a bolt 31 for themounting of a pivot block 24 (see Fig. 4). The pivot block, of course,carries a connector 23 which is secured to the adjacent rail of the unit160, whereby the ends of the unit 160 remote from the post 21 are firmlyanchored to the structure wall.

From the foregoing description it will be evident that the improvedrailing units and fittings provide standard structural elements whichcan be readily assembled on the job to produce a strong and attractivepost-mounted railing adaptable to any existing conditions and to anyflight of stairs or inclined walk or ramp, The various elements may beassembled so that the railing units are in an inclined relationship, orthe railing units may be disposed in any angular relationship relativeto each other. The fittings borne by the posts and carrying the unitrails are standardized and permit an unlimited number of relationshipsbetween the assembled parts. The railing units and fittings are simple,permit the easy and inexpensive formation and installation of a railingof any length and disposition, and are well adapted for the purposesdescribed.

What is claimed as the invention is:

l. A pitch conforming railing section, comprising spaced-apartlongitudinal rails having imperforate surfaces, and spindlestransversely interposed between said rails in spaced-apart relation, oneset of ends of the spindles being anchored to irnperforate surfaceportions of one of the rails and the other set of ends of the spindlesbeing anchored to imperforate surface portions of the other of saidrails, said spindles having malleable areas inwardly of their anchoredends to vary the angular relationship between the rails and the spindleextents between said malleable areas while maintaining parallelismbetween the rails.

2. A pitch adjustable railing section, comprising elongated,spaced-apart upper and lower longitudinal metallic rails, the surfaceportions of which are imperforate, and vertical metallic spindlesspacedly interposed between said rails and having their opposite endsanchored to imperforate surface portions of the upper and lower railsrespectively, said railing section normally being of rectangular shape,said spindles having malleable areas inwardly of their anchored endswhile the major extents of the spindles between said malleable areas arerigid, said malleable areas of the spindles permitting manualdeformation of the railing section from a rectangle to a parallelogramto conform the inclination of the rails to the pitch of a flight ofstairs or the like.

3. A pitch conforming railing section, comprising spaced-apartlongitudinal rails having all surface portions thereof irnperforate, andspindles transversely interposed between said rails in spaced-apartrelation, one set of ends of the spindles being anchored to imperforateportions of one of the rails and the other set of ends of the spindlesbeing anchored to imperforate portions of the other of said rails, saidspindles having parallel, locally weakened malleable areas inwardly oftheir anchored ends permitting permanent deflection of the rails fromtheir original positions to alter the pitch of said raiis whilemaintaining the same in parallelism.

4. A pitch adjustable railing section, comprising elongated,spaced-apart upper and lower longitudinal metallic rails having allsurface portions thereof imperforate,

and vertical metallic spindles spacedly interposed between said railsand having their opposite ends anchored to imperforate surface portionsof the upper and lower rails respectively, said railing section normallybeing of rectangular shape, said spindles having locally weakenedmalleable areas inwardly of their anchored ends while the major extentsof the spindles between said malleable areas are rigid, said malleableareas of the spindles permitting manual bending of the spindles at saidareas to deform the railing section from a rectangle to a parallelogramto conform the inclination of the rails to the pitch of a flight ofstairs or the like along which said railing section is mounted.

5. A pitch conforming railing section, comprising spaced-apartlongitudinal rigid metal rails having all surface portions thereofimperforate, and spindles transversely interposed between said rails inspaced-apart relation, one set of ends of the spindles being anchored toimperforate portions of one of the rails and the other set of ends ofthe spindles being anchored to imperforate References Cited in the fileof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,074,693 Carter et al. Oct. 7,1913 2,427,723 Hawkins et al Sept. 23, 1947 2,558,142 Lapp et a1 June26, 1951 2,563,529 Hawkins Aug. 7, 1951 2,655,345 Lindman Oct. 13, 1953FOREIGN PATENTS 6,161 Great Britain 1887

